FEU - Institute of Education

Poems for Thought

By Josiah Rei Balbuena BSEd-English Student The very first thing that I learned in the Social Dimensions classes was that whole deal with Michel Focault and his perspective on “knowledge is power.”  After that, everything seemed to follow a distinct pattern, as if every other theory out there fell into a structure of its own. Having realized that there exists a structure in our society and how it perceives things such as education, the work-force, politics, and other such things, I just couldn’t help but connect all the other discussions we’ve had in class to the structure that we’ve been encouraged to see. Maybe it’s a good thing that I’ve managed to pick it up so quickly, even if it can be a little presumptuous for me to do so. But I’ve also realized that it can also backfire quite easily, as I might create a one-track mind of looking at anything and everything as having a structure to blame for all the problems. Whenever we are engaged in a discussion or confronted wi...

By Raphael Lactao BSEd - English Student In all the heated arguments and pithy analyzations about the papers given to us by our professor, F. Sionil Jose’s “Why we are shallow” had the most different number of interpretations. We have read plenty of academic papers by venerable researchers and educators, but I did not expect that the great minds in our classroom would become turbulent because of a newspaper article from the literary section. Some thought about it hardly, and some hardly thought about it, and some just over-analyzed the trivial matters in the paper. The thing is, when you read a literary article, you should not be thinking at all, you should be in a meditative state that causes you to process the words, sentences, and paragraphs in a way that you would not judge it at first glance because it is somebody else’s experience. F Sionil Jose did not write that with any form of intellectual back-up or provisions, because he had no need for such, for he only wrote from...

By Sabrina Bagatcholon BSEd-English Student Foundation is one of the most important components of any structure. Without a solid foundation, the building will wobble and collapse, rendering all the time, effort and money put into the construction of that building useless. Like a building, education must have a solid foundation. As we learned in class, the four pillars of education are, in essence, for personality development, social awareness, honing critical thinking, and utilizing communication skills. Although these are well-established in concept and in thinking, these four pillars are not actually wholly implemented in school curriculums and instead are substituted with old-fashioned, modernist-focused, teaching methods. One might question the usefulness of these four pillars and whether or not they are going to be more effective than the old-fashioned curriculums. One might even suggest that it is better to stick to the old ways, since the education system in this current ...

By Mr. Perci Paras Literature Teacher          “ Real generosity towards the future lies in giving all to the present. ” (Camus, 1951) This line from French Philosopher Albert Camus speaks a lot about my journey as a young teacher. In June of 2008, I was a struggling student in a teacher-education university. Just like the few ambitious and passionate students like I was, I took the road “ less travelled by... ” hoping it will make “ all the difference. ”. My decision to pursue a degree in Education, major in Literature, is short of a compromise. My parents are both public school teachers, and they prefer that I pursue education than what I really want. Prior to that, I didn’t know what I really want to do in life. I want everything. On top of that, I desire to pursue a vocation in the arts (theater or creative writing). I also want to be either a soldier or a public servant as alternatives… I want to do a lot of things, but none of which materialized. Noth...

by Prof. Ma. Floran Tan           Sometimes I asked myself what is it in teaching that I love? Is it the everyday grind of the classroom setting featuring the dynamic interactions showcasing various personas and characters? Or probably the exploring of ideas and concepts and their fusion reflecting endless plethora of knowledge ? Or should I say the new and novel insights expressed and presented in the arena of learning on a daily basis?  Or simply the usual exchange of pleasantries and conversations in class and along the corridors? I guess all of these create a picturesque teaching and learning panorama which invigorate and inspire me to wake up everyday and teach.              Well, it has been 29 yrs. since my romance with teaching started. But before even that, I knew that I have this burning passion to teach. However, this love did not blossom during my teenage years simply because teaching was and stil...